Feature Request: Convert a rectangular picture frame to round and vice versa.

[nwhit]

I run into this all the time in Publisher. When revising previous publications or doing rough layouts, I have a need to change existing picture frames from square to round and vice versa. And, yes, I also routinely create shapes, then convert to picture frame. But when working on layouts, like to try an image contained in a rectangle, but also would like to easily be able to see it in a circle without having to start from scratch. And I don't want to go to the complexity of converting the frame into curves, then dealing with that. Just a simple toggle between square and round.

Hopefully this would be a simple thing to implement. Thanks.

And here we are in 2022 and hard to believe how long it's been since I've worked in ID!!! Actually since the first version of APub! Started with v1 of PageMaker, so been a long path to get to 2022! 

[GarryP]

There’s no need to convert anything to anything else.
All you need to do is start with a Rectangle Picture Frame and use the Corner functionality in the Context Toolbar – see attached video.

[nwhit]

Yes, I'm aware of that, but thanks for the reminder of that feature. It does, of course, assume that a person ALWAYS starts with a rectangular picture frame, which is often not the case. And I am unaware of a way to convert an oval/circle picture frame to square. 

Additionally, changing an existing rectangular frame to a circle using the corner option still requires a bit of tweaking in order to actually get it back to a circle or decent oval, and time = money for clients. 

Thus the Feature Request to have a simple toggle to go back and forth. Just be very, very handy for layout work. I would literally use it multiple times a day since several of our clients incorporate both round and square graphic items in numerous pubs. 

[fde101]

But what about heart-shaped picture frames?

Star-shaped ones?

Octagons?

 

I don't think a simple toggle is appropriate here.  It would need to be something quite a bit more generalized.

[GarryP]

One thing you can’t do with a Rectangle Picture Frame is modify it to an ellipse shape. You can make it rectangular, or a square, or a rounded rectangle, or a rounded square, or a circle, but you can’t make it into an ellipse, as far as I know.

I agree that being able to convert to/from an ellipse/rectangle might be a useful thing but, as fde101 has pointed out, it might be even better if this “switch” was more-generalised by being able to “switch” back and forth between any of the smart shapes, not just rectangle/ellipse.

This is something that has been requested for non-picture-frame shapes so maybe it would be good if that was extended to picture frames also.
 

[Toonafish]

Don’t know if this is still useful, but if you use the "erase" layer setting for a shape over a picture frame in a group, you can convert anything into a picture frame and simply replace or combine it with a different shape later.

Kind of a manual conversion from shape to picture frame.

[JamieT]

Similarly, I just had a round image in a rectangular box and wanted to make the box circular as well. I hoped there was some "Convert Shape > Ellipse" command like I seem to remember there was in InDesign.